One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Thunderbolts* might have been solved this week. For months, fans have been wondering why there is an asterisk in the title of the MCU film — is it not the definitive name of the group? Is it just a joke that matches the tone of the film?
Timed to the latest trailer drop during the 2025 Super Bowl, Marvel Japan shared a new Thunderbolts* poster on social media, and fans think it finally offers a clue about the much-discussed asterisk.
In the poster, we see the main characters, including Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, placed inside a yellow asterisk. “Not super. Not heroes. Not giving up”, reads the tagline. At the bottom, below the official title in Japanese and release date, we finally get the meaning behind the asterisk: “*The Avengers are not available”.
In the latest Thunderbolts* trailer , Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine delivers a speech that connects with the meaning of the asterisk. “Let’s talk facts,” she says in front of some kind of Congress hearing, “The Avengers are not coming. Who will keep the American people safe?”.
Japanese poster for Thunderbolts* (Image credit: Marvel Japan)
The fact that the trailer and the revealing Japanese poster dropped almost at the same time indicates that Marvel is ready to fully disclose the meaning of the asterisk — and it’s really not that deep.
It seems to be a humorous way to say that this new superhero group is a downgrade from the mighty Avengers, but they’re still the only option available to protect humanity from the threat ahead. It would match the light tone of the movie, which has been compared to ’80s teen classic The Breakfast Club .
Previous footage of the movie teased a potential name change for the group, which might explain the use of asterisk to indicate a temporary name. When Red Guardian screams passionately in one of the trailers, “we are the Thunderbolts!”, Bucky shakes his head and says: “We can’t call ourselves that.”
Alas, despite the clue left by the new poster, the mystery remains until official confirmation.
Thunderbolts* hits theaters on May 2. For more, check out our guides to upcoming Marvel movies and shows as well as all you need to know about watching the Marvel movies in order .
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